From Jordan to Uganda, Online LGBT Magazines Are Challenging the Narrative

The Jordanian online LGBT magazine, My Kali, made history this month, publishing their first ever edition in Arabic. Although the online magazine has been around for some time, previous editions had all been in English. The magazine is hoping that by publishing content for LGBT communities in Arabic they will be able to reach a much larger audience across the Middle East and North Africa.

In a statement put out by My Kali they stress that the zero-budget e-zine, which relies solely on voluntary contributions from writers, bloggers and artists. They also contend they are not challenging Jordanian culture, saying that, “The Jordanian LGBTQ community has always been an inherent part of the country’s social fabric. It is not a foreign import or construct, nor does it have an agenda to debase Jordanian traditions.”

Their latest cover, featuring Jordanian martial arts star Yara Kakish covers a variety of topics including how femininity is presented and the persecution faced by a gay imam.